Almost History: Close Calls, Plan B's, and Twists of Fate in America's Past [Paperback]

Roger Bruns (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 14, 2001

Now in paperback, and in the tradition of the bestseller What If -- the events that narrowly missed becoming true history.

Throughout American history, many speeches and documents were prepared for events that might have happened, but never did: Eisenhower's personal note apologizing for the failure of D-Day; Lincoln's plans for post-Civil War Reconstruction; the CIA's memo discussing the use of Americans as guinea pigs in drug tests, among many others.

Almost History includes more than eighty selections, many supported by photographs of the actual documents, and each is introduced with the story of how they came to be and where they fit in our history. They are compiled here for the first time, by a deputy director of the National Archives, illustrating how close America came to defeat, disaster, and distress -- and providing chilling proof that history can change in an instant. For example:

--Eisenhower's apology for the failure of D-Day

--Nixon's speech informing the public that Apollo XI would not return to earth
--JFK's prepared address justifying the bombing of Cuba

Almost History has been featured in USA Today, the New York Post, Chicago Sun-Times, Washington Post, and the Chicago Tribune.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Playing the historical what-if game is usually an exercise in absurdity and futility, but it can also be fun. We can never know what would have happened if Hitler had invaded Britain, but playing around with the various scenarios is often quite stimulating. As this compilation shows, it is not only scholars and armchair military strategists who indulge in this game. Political and military leaders must consider a variety of outcomes before the fact, and they must prepare for the worst. Bruns, a deputy director of the National Archives, provides readers with some of the documents recording and explaining events that never happened. Some of these documents, such as Eisenhower's acknowledgment of the failure of the Normandy invasion, are already well known. Others, such as Nixon's speech eulogizing the stranded Apollo XI astronauts, are both unsettling and poignant. This consistently fascinating collection of documents, missed opportunities, and possible "might have beens" reminds us how fate rests on slender threads. Jay Freeman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"[Almost History] is chock-a-block with close calls, ironic twists, undelivered speeches, warnings unheeded, codes fortuitously broken . . ." -- New York Post

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (November 14, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786885793
• ISBN-13: 978-0786885794
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,566,005 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost History an enlightening look at our government, September 27, 2000

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Almost History: Close Calls, Plan B's, and Twists of Fate in America's Past (Hardcover)

Roger Bruns has written a very interesting book full of tidbits to entice any history buff. Whether your interest lie in the Civil War, Presidential orders, or the World Wars there will be something for everyone. For me the most interesting aspect of the book were the possible "what ifs?" of history. What would Nixon have said if the Apollo astronauts never returned from the moon? Was Kennedy trying to pull us out of Vietnam early? The other interesting items dealt with such things as Nixon's application to the FBI, Einstein's letter to the President suggesting we build an atomic bomb, and the FBI's report on John Lennon and whether or not he should be deported. The nice thing about the book is that Bruns not only provides the documents, but also offers important commentary about what was happening at the time the documents came into being. This gives the reader a much better reference point in which to appreciate the document that is being read. All in all it is a very interesting book that leaves the reader wanting more. Unfortunately, it did seem a bit short to me. If you are the type of person that is facinated by reading a telegram that warned of Pearl Harbor a year before it happened, then you will love this book.

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gret new paradigms, November 6, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Almost History: Close Calls, Plan B's, and Twists of Fate in America's Past (Hardcover)

ALMOST HISTORY is not just a what if book along the lines of exploring an alternative path from a pivotal moment. It is not Marvel comics providing a tale such as What If the Radioactive Spider Bit Aunt May?. Instead, Roger Bruns has collected real documents that provide insight into the thinking of the key players in the event something else than what ultimately occurred happened. For instance, President Nixon had a speech written in case he had to provide solace to a mourning American people upon the failure to return of Apollo XI. General Eisenhower likewise prepared a speech explaining the failure of the D-Day invasion.

Tidbits from the archives make for a fascinating look at what was going through the minds of the leaders dealing with possible consequences and other contingencies. Thus, the book is incredibly engaging for more than just the history buff. In point, the student of history might find ALMOST HISTORY a bit short in length in terms of each included entry. Mr. Bruns adds commentary to his eighty plus entries that help bring the genuine documents, thought-processes of the players, and other evidence to life. This book is a great, sort of a paradigm look at America's heritage and hopefully the start of something fascinatingly new.

Harriet Klausner

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An amaizing collection of close calls and plan B's, December 1, 2000

By 

Kenneth S. Smith (Goleta, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Almost History: Close Calls, Plan B's, and Twists of Fate in America's Past (Hardcover)

This book, whose author works for the national archives, is an amusing collection of "Close Calls, Plan B's and Twists of Fate in America's past." Some of the items are merely drafts for press releases if D-day, Apollo 11, etc, failed disastrously. More fascinating were plans for actions not taken - Robert McNamara's meeting with Kennedy on the pre-invasion bombing of Cuba and the prosecution memorandum on indicting Nixon after his resignation. Others are little known items like Alexander Graham Bell's attempt to locate the bullet in Garfield with an induction coil that failed because the dying President was on a (then) newfangled metal spring mattress and Bell didn't know it. The great majority are amusing, some are poignant (Colonel Travis' appeal for reinforcements at the Alamo - although in the words of Chief Hendrick "if they are to fight, they are to few, if they are to die, they are too many") and H.L. Mencken's dryly humorous falsified history of the bathtub (that got out of hand when too many readers treated it as fact) is a real hoot!